This seems like a great idea to me - an underwater drone. I love all the photos that people have of their anchor sets, but for those of us who cruise in very cold water, jumping overboard isn't as easy.

How about flying a briefcase-sized drone down to check it out instead?

...In the $600 price range it seems like it could pay for itself pretty quickly...

__________________

__________________1st rule of yachting: When a collision is unavoidable, aim for something cheap.
"whatever spare parts you bring, you'll never need"--goboatingnow
"Id rather drown than have computers take over my life."--d design

That would depend. How long is the tether? Most electronics require very little power, the propulsion motors are probably the biggest drain. On a really long tether a lower gage wire might be needed to compensate for line loss. Also, do they specify the requirements for power to the drone?

Having a tether limits its range and usefulness for double checking your anchor set, unless you don't mind a lot of messing around in the dinghy.

__________________1st rule of yachting: When a collision is unavoidable, aim for something cheap.
"whatever spare parts you bring, you'll never need"--goboatingnow
"Id rather drown than have computers take over my life."--d design